3 Feb 2019

Israel begins construction of smart fence along Gaza border
Israel began construction of an upgraded security barrier along the Gaza Strip border last week… “On Thursday, we began working on the final component of the barrier project along the Gaza border,” said Brig.-Gen. Eran Ophir, head of the army’s fence-building project. “The barrier is unique and especially suited to threats from the Gaza Strip and will provide a maximum response to prevent entry into Israeli territory.”

Australia weather: Townsville warned as floodgates open
Thousands of residents in and around the Australian city of Townsville have been warned of “unprecedented flooding” after dam gates were fully opened on Sunday as monsoon rains continued. Rain in the state of Queensland, where Townsville is located, has swollen the Ross River dam beyond its capacity. Officials earlier warned that up to 20,000 homes could be flooded.

China Urges the World to Undermine U.S. Sanctions
China’s state-run Global Times on Friday applauded the launch of a European system to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, pleased by the damage it could inflict upon U.S. sanctions against China, Venezuela, North Korea, and other countries. The Chinese saluted France, Germany, and Britain for moving toward a day when the U.S. dollar is no longer the world’s dominant currency and perhaps Chinese money will take its place.

GM Sought to Outsource 2.8K U.S. Jobs to Foreigners While Laying Off Americans
Multinational corporation General Motors (GM) sought to import nearly 2,800 foreign workers in the last three years to take U.S. jobs while laying off American workers. GM will be laying off at least 4,250 of its white-collar workers in Canada and America — with the vast majority in the U.S. — starting next week.

The Pope’s Stubborn Silence on the Persecution of Christians
Unfortunately, Pope Francis’s stance on Islam seems to be coming from a fantasy world. “Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence”, the Pope claimed, not quite accurately. It is as if all of the Pope’s efforts have been directed to exonerating Islam from any of its responsibilities.

CCCU vice chair admits there is ‘risk’ associated with its LGBT compromise
A board member for one of the largest Christian college associations in the country admits that there is “risk” associated with its recent push for legislation that would provide LGBT discrimination protections in exchange for religious exemptions for traditional Christian beliefs on sexuality. Shirley Mullen…defended the 180-school network’s support for the “Fairness for All” initiative…

Iranian, Russian diplomats hold talks over Syria
The meeting anticipates a trilateral summit of the presidents of the guarantor states of the Syria peace process, Iran, Russia, and Turkey, scheduled to be held on February 14 in Russia’s Sochi. Since January 2017, Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara have been mediating dialogue between representatives from the Damascus government and opposition groups in a series of talks held in Astana and other places.

13 States that Have Ruled Unborn Babies Are ChildrenLast week, New York state shocked the nation by passing an abortion law that allows pregnant women to terminate their pregnancies up until their due dates. The progressive law is the first of its kind, but New York appears to only be the first of many states who are considering adopting similar legislation.